Graham Audio LS5/9f Floorstanding Monitor Loudspeakers: Enhanced Performance with Classic BBC Heritage
The Graham Audio LS5/9f Floorstanding Monitor Loudspeakers is an advanced iteration of the renowned BBC-designed LS5/9, catering to those who seek the sonic precision of studio monitors in a floorstanding form factor. While preserving the acoustic virtues of the original LS5/9, the LS5/9f adds deeper bass extension, greater dynamic range, and subtle high-frequency adjustment, making it an ideal choice for audiophiles and professionals alike.
Expanded Bass Response in a Larger Cabinet
The key advantage of the LS5/9f lies in its larger cabinet, which enhances the speaker’s bass extension and overall dynamics. Like the LS5/9, it uses the same high-performance 200mm Diaphnatone polypropylene bass/midrange driver from Volt Loudspeakers, renowned for its accuracy and low colouration. The lightweight, yet rigid polypropylene diaphragm allows the LS5/9f to reproduce low frequencies with authority, while maintaining the same clarity in the midrange that has made the LS5/9 so widely respected.
The floorstanding design allows the LS5/9f to reach lower into the frequency spectrum, delivering more weight and impact in the bass, with a frequency response of 40Hz to 16kHz, ±3dB. This ensures that the speaker provides a full-bodied, well-rounded sound that excels in larger spaces, while preserving the detailed midrange that is critical in reproducing vocals and acoustic instruments.
Audax Tweeter with Adjustable High-Frequency Control
The LS5/9f retains the 34mm Audax HD13D34H tweeter, used across Graham Audio’s LS series, ensuring a smooth and accurate high-frequency response. The tweeter’s soft-dome design is engineered to handle high frequencies with precision, maintaining the signature balance and neutral tonal character of the LS5/9 series.
An important update in the LS5/9f is the inclusion of a tweeter level adjustment switch, allowing users to fine-tune the high-frequency response to their listening environment. This feature was first introduced in the LS6 and replaces the earlier soldered connections used for tweeter calibration. The discrete switch offers a subtle ±1dB adjustment to the tweeter’s output, providing the flexibility to adapt the speaker’s sound to room acoustics, especially in spaces with excessive absorbent materials, such as heavy drapery or carpeting. This adjustability makes the LS5/9f a more versatile speaker, capable of optimising high-frequency clarity in any listening space.
BBC Thin-Wall Construction with Integrated Plinth
Like its predecessor, the LS5/9f is built using the time-honoured BBC thin-wall construction technique, known for its ability to reduce cabinet colouration and ensure accurate sound reproduction. The cabinet is made from 9mm birch plywood, mass-loaded to move resonances away from the sensitive midrange frequencies. Rockwool damping is used internally, providing a controlled acoustic environment that helps deliver the speaker’s natural tonal balance.
The integrated plinth, borrowed from the LS6f design, not only gives the speaker a stable foundation but also incorporates a flow-optimised port. This port design improves bass performance by reducing unwanted airflow noise and delivering cleaner, more controlled low-frequency output. The hidden magnets holding the speaker grille in place preserve the sleek aesthetic of the speaker, while also minimising diffraction effects that can interfere with driver performance.
Versatile and Refined Sound for Larger Rooms
The LS5/9f is designed for larger spaces where a stand-mounted speaker may not provide sufficient bass depth or dynamic range. Despite its larger size, the speaker retains the sensitivity of 87dB SPL (2.83V, 1m) and a nominal impedance of 8Ω, making it compatible with a wide range of amplifiers. Graham Audio recommends amplifier power between 50 to 200 watts, ensuring that the LS5/9f can deliver high output levels—up to 100dB for a pair at 2 metres—without distortion.
With dimensions of 35cm wide, 105cm tall, and 37cm deep, including the plinth, and a weight of 25kg, the LS5/9f combines elegance and substance, delivering a powerful yet refined sound that can fill larger rooms with ease. The real wood veneer finish adds a touch of luxury, available in a range of hand-selected wood finishes to complement any interior.
Superior Performance with Classic BBC Heritage
The Graham Audio LS5/9f Floorstanding Monitor Loudspeakers offers all the midrange purity and natural tonal balance that made the LS5/9 famous, but with enhanced bass, improved dynamic range, and tweeter level control for fine-tuning in various listening environments. Whether used in professional studios or sophisticated home setups, the LS5/9f provides an immersive listening experience with remarkable clarity and impact.
With its precision-engineered drivers, BBC thin-wall cabinet design, and elegant floorstanding form factor, the LS5/9f is the ideal choice for those who demand both performance and refinement from their loudspeakers.